The Pittsburgh Steelers understand very clearly that WR George Pickens is an immense talent. While he could have handled himself better during his first two seasons, they know they haven’t maximized his contributions. But they very much want to ensure they do that this year — and they also don’t have much choice.
After trading Diontae Johnson earlier in the offseason, the Steelers left themselves with Pickens as the only credible receiver on the roster. They have since stocked up on journeymen, some pedigreed, some not, and rookie third-rounder Roman Wilson. In the wide receiver room, Pickens is very clearly “the guy.” That’s just fine, according to general manager Omar Khan, because it meshes with the team’s intentions.
“I think we all want the same thing, and that’s to see the ball in George’s hands,” Khan said of Pickens recently on 93.7 The Fan. “I love what I’ve seen about this offense and what Arthur Smith has been doing. Wherever Arthur decides to line up George to help him get the ball or to use him as a decoy I’m comfortable with. But George can do some pretty special ‘George’ things. I think we’re all on the same page when we say we just want to get him the ball.”
We have witnessed Pickens doing “George” things throughout his two seasons in the NFL. By the second game of his career, he already made a circus catch drawing comparisons to vintage Odell Beckham Jr. But what the Steelers need from him is less bread and circus, but rather more business. That is, they need him to care about doing the routine things more routinely, to adopt a Tomlinism.
Doing so will earn Pickens more targets and more opportunities to demonstrate his talents. Notably, he recently talked about working in the slot more this year. There is certainly no harm in making it more difficult for defenses to identify and counter him.
Last season, Pickens recorded 63 catches on 106 targets, gaining 1,140 yards with 5 touchdowns. He led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception, also going 5-for-50 in their lone postseason contest. As a rookie in 2022, he caught 52 passes for 801 yards and 4 touchdowns.
But the Steelers’ offense had been plagued by issues both at quarterback and offensive coordinator during that time. They hired Smith to take over the offense and signed Russell Wilson at quarterback. With the high-volume Johnson also out of the way, everything is pointing toward Pickens as the clear go-to guy.
In truth, Pickens has had to adjust to the “routine.” He likes to make the crazy catches, but the Steelers are teaching him about the importance of the rest. Hopefully he is well prepared for the “drudgery” that is in store for him now that he is the focus. He shouldn’t have a problem clearing 150-plus targets this year, if not more. But it’s up to him to prove every week that he deserves those targets by making them count.
